Pittsburgh, Allegheny County settle 911 blizzard death lawsuit

Curtis Mitchell died after snow blocked ambulance crews in Hazelwood

UPDATED 12:23 PM EST Nov 04, 2012

PITTSBURGH -

The family of a Pittsburgh man who died at home after waiting 30 hours for help despite 10 calls to 911 during a record-setting snowstorm will receive $280,000 in a settlement of lawsuits against the city and Allegheny County.

A settlement in the suit by relatives of Curtis Mitchell, who died in February 2010, was announced in September, but details were not released.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (http://bit.ly/Snp6Dl ) says legislation for a $195,000 settlement with the city is to be introduced in the council Monday, and city solicitor Daniel Regan had confirmed the amount. Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs says the county has agreed to pay $85,000.

Family attorney Alan Perer said the case was not about money but about improving the emergency response system.

"We're pleased," Perer told The Associated Press. "The case would have been appealed for years. We feel it's a fair settlement. The city and county have both acknowledged it was unacceptable, it shouldn't have happened."

The lawsuit claimed the first two ambulance crews couldn't cross a small bridge near Mitchell's home and got no closer than a quarter mile away during the storm that dumped 21 inches of snow on the city.

Instead of walking to Mitchell's home, ambulance crews repeatedly insisted that Mitchell walk to them or take a bus. A paramedic was recorded cursing on a dispatch tape after Mitchell told 911 operators he was in too much pain to walk down the steps from his home to reach the second ambulance.

"I ain't waiting all day for him," the paramedic said. "I mean, what the (expletive)? This ain't no cab service." The paramedic whose comments were recorded was fired, then reinstated by a labor arbitrator.

Perer said the city and county have improved their protocols for snow emergencies so dispatchers will know when repeated calls are coming from the same address and by making it easier for first responders to summon four-wheel-drive vehicles if roads are snowy.

"The most gratifying thing is, they have done a lot to upgrade emergency services and the emergency response system so this will not happen to someone else," Perer said.

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